| How to Paint Easter Lilies in Watercolor Posted: 21 Apr 2017 05:00 PM PDT Celebrate the season by painting graceful Easter lilies. You will face two challenges: how to show the backward curling petals and how to paint a white flower in a medium that uses no white paint. Once you know how to tackle those, you'll be well on your way to painting beautiful Easter lilies. EditPreparing - Collect and organize your supplies. You will need a pencil, a sheet of 11" X 14" watercolor paper from a pad, an eraser, a support board, primary and secondary watercolors in tubes or a set of dry pads of paint in a tin, an assortment of watercolor brushes, a water bucket, and tissues or paper napkins.
- Look at pictures of lilies. Google pictures of the Easter lily, which is traditionally white. See how others have drawn the flower by looking at pictures online.
- Study an actual, live lily from all angles. If one isn't available, purchase a silk, artificial one. These craft store flowers are very realistic and have good details. Bouquets from the dollar store give you the shape of the flower but lack essential details. Just add the details from pictures you've looked at.
- Draw a lily from many angles. Use a page or two from a sketchbook, or another piece of watercolor paper. This will allow you to see the lily's shape and how various parts relate to each other.
- Color you preliminary sketches. If you would like to practice how to apply color to the lily, sketches are the way to go. Use your watercolors for practice applying them, too.
- If you prefer, color your sketches with colored pencils. Artist's quality are the best. They cost a little more but last for a long time and there is more and a better grade of pigment in them than in the child sets.
- Begin your painting by drawing in pencil. Either orientation of your watercolor paper is fine. Vertical will allow you to include many blossoms and some buds on one stem. Horizontal lends itself to placing the flowers in a row, perhaps showing many different angles and views.
- Look at your paper and try to imagine the flower in place. Sketch your flower in pencil, making it life size. Correct as you go by erasing bad lines and making new ones.
- Draw all parts of the composition. Include the stem and make it sturdy enough to support the heavy lily blossoms. Draw the leaves.
- Think about ways to make the white flower stand out and have depth. One way is to immediately paint, in very thin, transparent watercolor shadow shapes on the lilies. Mix a gray on your palette, from various amounts of the three primaries. Then, dilute a small amount of the gray with clear water and paint with that.
- Paint the background first, if you wish. Not only will you commit to a color scheme, for example, traditional Easter colors of yellow and violet, or any other three colors you desire. Use a big brush for the background, but change to a round, pointed brush to go around the flowers.
- Mask the lilies quickly. Cut their shapes from contact paper, place them on your paper and paint the background first. This is another way to achieve a liquid and fresh background.
- Do the stem and leaves. If there are buds, do them, too.
- Use a liner brush to do growth lines on the petals, leaves and buds. Use a pale version of any of the colors in your painting for this.
- Add the final touches. Have four or five stamens coming from the center of the flower. Do this with a liner brush and in one stroke for each. At the top, make a short, horizontal stroke for the pistil.
- Admire your work! Easter can be rich and satisfying without relying on chocolate and other candies. A painting of an Easter lily is lasting and can be enjoyed by all for many years. Creating art can give you a feeling of accomplishment and serve as a special gift to all who view it.
- When starting a new set of colored pencils, always preserve the information printed on the pencil such as the name of the color and its number. Do this by sharpening from the opposite end of the pencil.
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| How to Celebrate Earth Day Posted: 21 Apr 2017 09:00 AM PDT The celebration of Earth Day is on April 22nd and it began 1970. It has grown into a global event recognized by over 192 countries. Devoting special a day to helping for the earth is a way to demonstrate how much we care about the future of our planet. No matter what you like to do best, there's a way to get involved in Earth Day. You could plant a tree, make a meal with locally-grown vegetables, educate a family member, clean up trash in your neighborhood, set up a bird feeder or save power — the possibilities are endless. Remember, you don't have to wait for Earth Day to show your love for the planet we call home. EditGetting Engaged - Learn more about the environment. Earth Day is a good time to make a commitment to learning more about the environment and how you can help to protect it. Read articles to get up to date on the current issues affecting the environment, like pollution, water shortages, and climate change. Or, learn about a region you've never considered before, like the Arctic, the deserts, or the rain forests. Not sure where to start? Check out your local news sources for information about environmental issues in your own backyard.
- Understand how climate change works, and what you can do about it.[1]
- If you live in a city, look into urban environmental issues like contaminated drinking water and energy conservation.[2]
- If you live near a body of water, do research to find out whether it's healthy or in need of help.[3]
- Learn more about fracking, which is affecting many communities in the United States.[4]
- Find out which species native to your area are under threat of extinction.[5]
- Join an environmental group. Think about the issues that concern you the most and if you haven't done so already, join a local group that undertakes activities to help protect the environment in your area. Earth Day is a great day to start getting involved. In almost any community, you'll find local groups that do the following:[6]
- Host clean-ups of local bodies of water and their shores
- Fight air and water pollution
- Plant trees and install community gardens
- Protect habitats under threat of getting developed
- Can't find a group? Consider starting your own.
- Spread the word. Everyone has environmental knowledge they can share with others. Just talking about the environment with people who may not think about it that much is a good way to celebrate Earth Day. Talk to your parents, friends, teachers, siblings, and anyone else you'd like about the issues you care about most. Here are a few ways to educate others about the earth:
- Give a speech at your local library on how to compost with worms
- Take a group of children down to the recycling center to show them how things are recycled
- Recite nature poems in the park
- Offer to teach your office colleagues how to make environmentally-friendly choices at work during lunch hour
- Encourage people to respond and if they have no opinions or they seem to not know much, help them learn some more by imparting your environmental knowledge in a friendly and helpful manner.
- Get a group of friends to wear green and brown. When people ask you why you're dressed like a tree, take the opportunity to talk about Earth Day.
- Go to an Earth Day fair. Maybe your school, your street, or your local neighborhood is holding an environmental fair. If your community doesn't have one planned, consider starting one yourself. It's the perfect day to get together for a fun and educational celebration of the earth. Money raised can go towards a local environmental restoration project or to an environmental group agreed upon by all the participants running the fair. These offerings are common at Earth Day fairs:
- Demonstrations of environmentally-friendly products
- Children's earth-themed artwork
- Healthy/locally grown foods to eat
- Animal care demonstrations (including wildlife rescue)
- Games for the children made of recycled products
- Musicians and actors performing environmental music and skits
- Stalls for recycling unwanted treasures and books
- Local environmental organizations presenting their issues and wares.
- Enjoy Earth Day entertainment. There are many Earth Day song lyrics available on the Internet. Most follow well-known tunes so people can easily sing along. These make a fantastic classroom activity and help younger children to become interested in environmental topics. iTunes has many songs about the Earth for downloading: try searching for words such as "planet", "Earth", "endangered", "pollution" etc.
- Cook a special Earth Day meal. Invite friends and family over for a meal, and plan a menu that uses locally produced foods, is healthy and has minimal impact on the environment. Favor vegetables, fruit and other produce, as these use less resources to grow than mass-farmed meat. If you still would like meat, look for locally produced, organic meat. Try to have organic food completely.
- To decorate for the meal, use recycled decorations made by you and your friends instead of buying brand-new decorations.
- When you wash up after the meal, use the low-water dishwashing method. Teach those who are helping how to use it, too.
- Remember that every day is Earth Day. Anything to help our environment is a perfect thing to do on Earth Day and every day. Don't restrict yourself to just one day a year; learn about how you can make a difference to environmental protection all the time. It's going to take a lot of work to heal our planet. Leading by example will help others remember that the earth is important every day of the year.
EditCaring for Trees, Plants and Animals - Plant trees. As the date of Earth Day roughly coincides with U.S. Arbor Day, planting trees is a popular Earth Day activity. Trees helps to reduce greenhouse gas emissions, clean pollution, secure soil in place to prevent erosion, and provide homes for many birds, insects and other animals. There's almost no more important, long-lasting act you can do to celebrate Earth Day.
- Pick a tree that you know can survive in your climate. It's best to find a species native to where you live. If you're unsure about what that might be, ask an employee at your local garden shop, or inside the garden department of a big-box store.
- To ensure that the tree grows tall and strong, make sure you plant it correctly. Choose the correct planting spot to meet its needs, dig a properly-sized hole, and water the tree well to give it a good start.
- Plant wildflowers. Choose flowers that are native to your area and plant them in your garden or on nature strips where plants are usually grown. Restoring the local plant life will help attract native bird life, pollinators and local mammals. Here are a few examples of common flowers that will draw wildlife:
- If you want to attract Monarch butterflies, plant milkweed, pansies or goldenrod.[7]
- If you want to attract bees, plant bee balm, lavender or sage.
- If you want to attract hummingbirds, plant foxglove, petunias or lilies.[8]
- Welcome animals into your yard. You can do a lot for the creatures of the earth starting in your own yard or neighborhood. In their quest for the perfect lawn, many people drive out the insects, rodents, birds and reptiles that need a place to call home just as much as we do. Starting on Earth Day, why not welcome these nonhuman neighbors into your yard? Here's how to do it.
- Instead of mowing the entire yard, leave a few sections unmowed. Bees, butterflies, and many other insects will find this inviting. If you're worried about them coming inside, have the unmowed area in the back of the yard instead of right next to the house.
- Install a bird feeder, bat feeder, squirrel feeder, hummingbird feeder, or any other type of feeder to attract more wild animals.
- Provide a source of water, like a bird bath or a small pond.
- Don't try to get rid of snakes, lizards, frogs, moles, squirrels, and the other creatures who want to hang out in your yard. Many of these animals are beneficial; they aerate your yard, eat mosquitoes and improve biodiversity in the area. Live and let live. Tell your neighbors to do the same!
- Talk to your neighbors about going organic. Pesticides and herbicides can harm wild animals, native plants, trees, pets, and even humans. Make Earth Day the day you stop using chemicals in your yard and try organic methods of weed and pest removal instead. Consider talking to your neighbors about making the whole neighborhood organic.
- Getting rid of pests the old-fashioned way can actually be more effective than using pesticides. Try planting native plants to control the insect population. Use water to spray common insects like aphids off of your vegetable plants.
- When it comes to weeds, pulling them out by hand works better than any other method.
- Commit to protecting local wild places. Whether you live near an ocean, river, forest, mountain, swamp or lake, wild areas like these need protection. They are home to many plants and animals who rely on them for food and shelter. On Earth Day, commit to protecting the wild places in your community by doing the following:
- Join a group working to protect these areas from pollution and developments.
- Encourage people to respect wild spaces by not damaging animal habitats, littering, and dumping in the water.
- Clean up litter in your community. Many groups use the weekend of Earth Day to clear roadways, highways and neighborhood streets of litter that has accumulated since the last clean-up day.[9] Many companies donate gloves and bags for clean-up groups and villages organize bag pick ups. Once the group has collected the trash and placed the recycled bags along the road, get the village public works department to pick the bags up. It's a wonderful community project that you can do as an individual or with a group.
EditEating Earth-Friendly Food - Eat food from local sources. Eating food that was grown or raised as close to your home as possible is important for a variety of reasons. Locally-grown food doesn't require as much gas to arrive in your town and end up on the shelves in your grocery store. The closer to your home it was grown, the more environmentally friendly it is.[10]
- Farmer's markets are a great place to find local foods. Most foods available in farmer's markets were grown within a 50-mile vicinity.
- Some grocery stores have a section devoted to locally-grown foods. Look for foods that were produced in your state, or better yet, within 50 miles of your town.
- Look for foods that were produced on small farms, rather than manufactured at factories.
- Plant a vegetable garden. When it comes to eating local, you can't get much closer to home than your own yard. You can grow a lot of different vegetables in a relatively small space. Earth Day falls during the perfect time of year to plant a garden. Try clearing a bit of grass away and planting a few different varieties to try out during the summer.
- Squash is a great choice, since one plant produces enough to feed a small family for several weeks.
- Tomatoes are popular among novice gardeners.
- Beans are relatively low-maintenance.
- Herbs take up very little room, and can be grown in pots.
- Don't have space for a garden? See if there's a community garden in your area where you can start using a plot.
- Consider a vegetarian or vegan diet. Most meat is manufactured in an industrial setting under conditions that pollute the environment and are cruel to the animals.[11]Mass-produced meat is normally pumped full of hormones, making it unhealthy for humans to consume. Eliminating meat from your diet is considered a great way to do your part to help the environment. Why not make April 22 your first meatless day?
- A vegetarian diet is free of meat and fish, while a vegan diet is free of all animal products (including eggs, honey and dairy products). Choose the diet that works best for your health needs.
- If you don't want to give up meat entirely, consider buying your meat products only from local farms where you know how the animals were treated. Look for farms that allow animals space to roam and feed them healthy food.[12]
- Cook from scratch. Pre-made, processed foods require preservatives and a lot of packaging to keep them from going bad before you eat them. Check out the list of ingredients on items like frozen dinners, packaged snack foods and other common grocery store items. They likely contain extra sugars, chemical flavorings and other ingredients that aren't good for the environment or our bodies. The solution is to buy foods in their natural form and cook from scratch.
- Even if a product is labeled "natural," check the ingredients. If you see words you can't pronounce, you probably don't need to eat it.
- Not sure you know how to cook from scratch? Start with easy dishes like omelets, casseroles, smoothies, or steamed vegetables. Once you learn some basic techniques, you'll be able to cook more and more dishes from scratch.
EditReducing Waste - Reduce, reuse and recycle. Buy as little as possible and avoid items that come in lots of packaging. Start good habits on Earth Day and carry them through all year long. Here are a few ways you can reduce, reuse and recycle:
- Support local growers and producers of food and products. These don't have to travel as far and so reduce greenhouse gas emissions.
- Take your drink container with you, and don't use any disposable plates or cutlery. Recycle all the things you do use for the day or find other uses for things that you no longer use.
- Carry a cloth bag for carrying things in and recycle your plastic bags.
- Buy or make Earth-friendly cleaning products. Try making up a simple vinegar-and-water counter cleaner, or swapping out your bleach cleaner for a less-toxic orange-based one. Making your own cleaning products saves money and packaging. Homemade cleaning products also often work just as well as industrial-strength chemicals.
- A solution of half vinegar, half water can be used to clean floors, bathrooms, cabinets, counters, and just about anything else in your home.
- To remove stains from carpeting, clothing or other fabrics, make a paste with baking soda and water. Let it sit on the stain for a few minutes, then scrub it away with a toothbrush.
- Entertain kids with homemade crafts and toys. Instead of using store-bought toys, help kids appreciate the beauty of reusing something old to make it fun and new. Tell kids to get creative and come up with their own ideas for how to make something around the house into a toy. Here are a few ideas:
- Sell or donate used items instead of throwing them away. Hold a garage sale, donate, or reuse household items. Many of us take up a lot of natural resources with stuff we don't really need, want or use. Ironically, there's a still lot of people who don't have basic necessities. Plus, a lot of your unwanted clutter can be used by local charities to resell for much-needed cash.
- Another idea is to hold a clothing swap. This can be a fun, free way for friends, relatives, co-workers, neighbors, and the like to find new wardrobe finds. (You can combine with an Earth Day lunch or dinner, too!)
- Learn about product exchange communities like Freecycle and other alternatives.
- Start a compost bin.[13] Instead of throwing out your food scraps, turn them into soil for your garden. This process is called composting. Banana peels, egg shells, carrot tops and avocado skins don't belong in the trash, where they'll just end up in a landfill. To start composting,
- Collect all of your food scraps (except for meat and dairy products) in a closed bin.
- Add leaves, sticks, grass clippings and other organic items to the mix.
- Turn the mixture every few days using a pitchfork.
- The compost will break down into a rich, brown soil after several months of turning.
EditSaving Energy and Water - Consider buying a carbon offset. This is designed to make up for the greenhouse gas emissions you create on the other 364 days of the year.[14] Carbon offsets fund reductions in greenhouse gas emissions through projects such as wind farms, that displaces energy from fossil fuels.
- Ride your bike. Use your bicycle or other forms of human powered transportation to commute to work or school and to run errands. This is a lot more environmentally friendly than relying on cars to get wherever you're going.
- If your school or work is too far to bike, look for a form of public transportation you can take. A bus, train or shuttle is better for the environment than driving alone in your car.
- Or consider carpooling with a few friends who are going in the same direction.
- Conserve water in your house. Do you tend to use more water than you need while going about your daily chores and business? There are little things you can do that make a big difference in how much water you use. Plus, conserving water will keep your water bill down.[15] Try adopting these habits:
- While brushing your teeth or washing your hands, turn the water off when not in use. Turn the water off when you are brushing.
- If you are washing your hands, turn the water off when you are scrubbing your hands with soap.
- Take shorter showers every day from Earth Day on.
- Install a grey water system in your home. Recycle water from the house for the garden.
- Wash your car using a bucket rather than the hose. Drive the car onto grass for cleaning, so that the water you do use also waters the grass.
- Save electricity. It's one of the first ways many of us are taught to be environmentally friendly, yet we all need help remembering how important it is to do things like turn off the lights when you leave the room. There are many ways you can save more electricity on a daily basis:[16]
- Vow to use less air conditioning in the summer, and less heat in the winter.
- Turn off all appliances and electronics when you aren't using them.
- Use energy-saving light bulbs or install skylights on your house's roof. You could also make mason jar luminaries as well.
- Switch to low-energy appliances.
- Search the Internet for many more ideas. Earth Day is celebrated in many different ways. A really good way to find more information is to surf the internet and look at what other people have done. There is so much there that it cannot be replicated here!
- Simple things, such as asking young children to use less paper to dry their hands or asking work colleagues to turn the lights off when they leave the office at night are great "small starters" to encourage bigger changes. You don't need to feel that you haven't time to contribute; every little changed habit that benefits the environment adds up and you are setting a good example to others.
- The other Earth Day is celebrated usually on March 21, which is the equinox for spring in the Northern Hemisphere and for autumn in the Southern Hemisphere. This Earth Day is supported by the United Nations and the Japanese Peace Bell is rung at the New York United Nations to remind everyone of our place in the human family on our precious planet Earth. See International Earth Day Official Site for further information.
- Cleaning up part of your local area can be a great way to celebrate Earth Day, but make sure all participants are properly attired or outfitted. Gloves are an absolute must and if you are collecting litter, sticks with prongs for picking it up are useful. Warn participants to be careful of sticking their fingers into dark places where biting animals might reside and to be careful of syringes and other dangerous items.
EditRelated wikiHows EditSources and Citations
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| How to Protest Safely Posted: 21 Apr 2017 01:00 AM PDT Protesting is a valued right. If you are unhappy with your government, you have the right to protest. However, there are risks involved with protesting, especially if things get violent or unruly. Always dress in comfortable clothing for a protest and pack only the essentials. Stay safe during a protest by sticking with a group and staying away from illegal activities. If you end up interacting with the police, make sure to stay safe. Remember your right to remain silent. In the event you are arrested, do not resist arrest. This can cause you physical injury and land you in more legal trouble. EditDressing and Packing for a Protest - Wear the right clothes. You want to make sure you don't wear anything that could put you at an increased risk for slipping or falling during a protest. You want to wear sensible clothes. Wear shoes you can easily walk in and nothing too tight or otherwise constrictive. You should also check the weather and plan accordingly. If it's going to be very cold, dress in layers and pack a hat.[1]
- Pack only the essentials. Unfortunately, when protests get chaotic things can get lost or stolen. You do not want to pack too much or bring anything too expensive to a protest.[2]
- Pack only the things you will absolutely need, such as your phone, keys, and wallet.
- Avoid carrying big, cumbersome bags.
- Do not bring or wear expensive items. For example, leave your iPod behind and do not wear expensive jewelry.
- Bring essential medication. On certain occasions, protests get unruly and people end up arrested. On the off chance you have to spend a night in jail, bring any medications you need each day. You do not want to end up without necessary pills if you end up stuck in jail.[3]
- It may be a good idea to only bring a small amount of your medication. If it gets lost, you do not want to be out of your medication when you get home.
- Prepare your phone. It's a good idea to bring your cell phone to a protest in the event you need to contact someone. However, you should prepare your cell phone before the big day. Bring a charger, preferably a portable one, in case your phone runs out of battery power. You should also completely charge your phone before you leave.[4]
- Turn off text preview. If your phone is locked, police officers will not be able to read the context of your texts.
- Download the app FireChat. This allows you to use your cell phone like a walkie talkie, so you can talk with your friends even if you don't have service.
- Lock your phone with a passcode. In some areas, police can legally demand that you unlock your phone using your fingerprint. If you do not want police officers rifling through your phone, you cannot legally be requested to give out a passcode. Before leaving for a protest, lock your phone with a passcode instead of your fingerprint. This will keep your information safe from police officers.[5]
- However, be sure to check regulations in your state or area. In some areas, police may be able to ask you for your passcode.
EditStaying Safe at a Protest - Know your rights. Knowing what you can and cannot do is important if you are confronted or arrested. These laws vary by region around the world, so it's important to do your homework and know your rights before you attend a protest.
- In the US and many other countries, your free speech is protected, even if your ideas are controversial or unpopular.[6]
- In the US, you are allowed to demonstrate freely on public venues (streets, sidewalks, and parks) without prior permission in most cases. You generally need written permission from the owner if you wish to protest on private property.[7]
- Do prior research on the event. Make sure you know who's organizing it, what cause they are defending, and what they plan to do during the protest. Consider the risks and legal implications of participating. Make sure that the organizers have acquired any necessary permits for large rallies.
- Stick with a group. Try to attend a protest with a group of friends or likeminded people. Have at least one close, trusted friend with you at a protest. You can keep an eye on one another. In the event one of you is arrested, you will have someone to notify friends and family members of your whereabouts.[8]
- Use social media wisely. Social media can be used to help you stay safe during a protest. People may use a hashtag on Twitter or Facebook regarding a protest, letting people know if arrests are being made or if tear gas is being used. This can help you know which areas to avoid while protesting. However, be careful. Rumors can be spread on social media, so do not believe everything you read.[9]
- If you only see a single tweet or post about arrests being made or tear gas being used, this may be a false report. Authorities sometimes use social media to falsely spread rumors to deter people from coming.
- You should also watch what you post. Do not post about anything illegal you see and do not post anything that could be interpreted as a call to action for illegal activities. This could be used against you in a court of law.
- If you are photographing/filming an event, respect the privacy of others. Some people may not want to have pictures or videos taken of them, so ask permission first. However, this does not apply to police working in publicly visible areas.
- Back away from violence safely. You do not want to get involved in any illegal activities during a protest. This can put your safety at risk, and may land you in legal trouble. If you notice illegal activities, back away carefully.[10]
- Stay away from side streets. Remaining in the open will prevent you from getting caught in violence, which often occurs on the sidelines during protests.
- If a large amount of police suddenly arrive a scene, this may quickly escalate to violence. Leave the area quickly in this event.
- Keep your distance from the black bloc. If you see a group of people wearing all black and with their faces covered, try to march further away from them. They occasionally vandalize symbols of wealth (banks, limousines) and police often respond violently to their tactics.
- Do not get in the way of others. Try to move if people are trying to pass you. If the crowd is moving in one direction, go with the crowd if they're not engaging in anything risky or illegal. If you get in anyone's way, you may get knocked over. This can lead to major injuries if a lot of people step on you. Try to stay out of the way as much as possible during protests.[11]
EditDealing with Police Interactions - Keep your distance from police officers. Police officers occasionally use violence on protestors. They also sometimes begin arresting protestors quickly, sometimes even peaceful protestors. As a general rule, keep an arm's length away from police officers at all times.[12]
- Ask a police officer for specifics if you're stopped. If a police officer stops you, it is within your legal rights to ask certain questions. Ask if you're being detained and if you're free to go. If the answer to any of these questions is "Yes," you should walk away. You do not want to speak to police officers longer than necessary, especially if the protest is very politically charged and arrests are likely.[13]
- If a police offer does say you're being detained, do not give up too much information. However, you should cooperate with the officer to avoid unnecessary legal charges.
- If your are arrested, stay calm and cooperate with the police. Don't argue, resist arrest, or attempt to flee. If you believe you have been unfairly prosecuted, discuss your case with a lawyer later.
- Do not consent to unauthorized searches. If a police officer searches you, say, "I do not consent to this search." Police officers are not allowed to search people without a warrant or an arrest, and any evidence obtained illegally cannot be used against you in court.[14]
- Part of the reason it's good to stay with a buddy is you will have a witness in the event the unauthorized search comes up in a court of law.
- If possible, have someone use a cell phone to record this. This way, you will have evidence you did not authorize the search.
- Remember you have the right to remain silent. In the event you are arrested, use your right to remain silent. Under stress, you may accidentally say something to incriminate yourself. Therefore, it's a good idea to decline police questions without a lawyer present. You do not have to answer anything after you've been arrested.[15]
- Do not resist arrest. Resisting arrest can contribute to police becoming violent. It can also result in you getting into further legal trouble. In the event you are arrested, remain calm. Allow yourself to be handcuffed and do not try to fight back.[16]
- Protect yourself against tear gas. Tear gas is sometimes used during protests. The best way to protect yourself is to back away when tear gas is being used. Maintain your distance from police and from the black bloc. If you anticipate tear gas, or if you plan on getting involved in social disobedience, wear masks and hoods to protect yourself.[17]
- See if you can use a gas mask. They are not cheap, but if you're protesting with an organization they may provide gas masks.
- In some areas, gas masks may be banned. Instead, buy a builder's respirator online or at a hardware store. This is fitted over your nose and mouth. You can also use a small dust mask and airtight goggles.
- Watch out for pepper spray. Police occasionally use pepper spray against protestors. It's important you stay vigilant and protect yourself against pepper spray. Usually, the best means to avoid pepper spray is to remain away from anyone you see carrying pepper spray, including both police officers and other protestors. If you're unable to escape, cover your eyes with your hands or arm.[18]
- It is safer to leave the event in groups to avoid arbitrary arrests
- For some organized protests, police may shut down roads to protect demonstrators from traffic. Be sure you have an alternate way home.
- Have alternate methods of communication, as cell phone signals may be jammed, monitored, or slowed by heavy traffic from other users.
- Have a list of contacts in case something goes wrong
- Water cannons can change direction very quickly and unexpectedly, and rubber bullets can cause injury at close range.
- Tear gas can cause serious injury or death in those with respiratory conditions.
- If someone near you is hurt, move them away from the crowd if possible and get medical attention.
- Be prepared for counter-protesters. While their views will naturally be opposed to yours, they have the same right to demonstrate as you do. Do not harass, insult, or argue with them. This applies even if they are rude to you.
EditSources and Citations
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